Center Will Not Hold (Or Will It?)
by simplyshelbs16
Summary: College, freshman year. Ron can't get Barkin's words out of his head. 'The center will not hold.' What did that even mean? They had been in college for a full week and things were holding up just fine…at least for now.
1. Prologue

You know those moments where you look at someone, and you just know for a fact they're your soulmate? Maybe you never felt that before, but a eighteen-year old Ron Stoppable did. He first felt it when he and Kim had danced at junior prom together. Now, as freshmen in college, she was still everything he wanted and more. Sometimes, he would hear her voice being his voice of reason…in fact, he could hear her now.

 _Ron_

 _Ron_

"Earth to Ron," Kim waved her hand in front of his face as she spoke.

"Huh, what?" Ron snapped out of his thoughts.

"I asked if you were gonna finish that," she told him, nodding towards his last, uneaten taco. Wordlessly, he slid it over to her, still trying to collect his thoughts.

 _One, two…_

"Did you really just eat that in two bites?" Ron asked, clearly impressed. This was one of those many moments where he became even surer she was his soulmate.

"Yeah, so?" she mumbled, her mouth still busy chewing. They shared a high five, laughing together once all was eaten.

"Now, see, that's the kind of support I need in a relationship," Monique remarked to them, having seen the small exchange for herself.

"Monique, hey!" Kim smiled, scooting over to let her friend sit beside her. "What's the four-one-one?"

"Nothing new, unless you count the fact that Bonnie is in the dorm beside ours," Monique sighed.

"You know, by now, we should have seen that coming," Ron stated. The girls just looked at him, completely clueless. "Oh, come on, since when do we ever get that much luck when it involves villains or Bonnie? I mean, you were stuck to her that one time."

"Don't remind me," Kim cringed.

"I seem to recall Ron was stuck to Barkin as well," Monique added.

"Never again," he replied in a serious tone as if he were having war flashbacks. His mind had gone back to the words Barkin had said to him.

 _The center will not hold._

What did that even mean? They had been in college for a full week and things were holding up just fine…at least for now.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I usually write longer chapters than this, but I'm dipping my toes in the water of the online KP fandom for the first time. I haven't written anything for my original OTP, Kim and Ron, since 2007. I've no idea where I'm going with this story, but enjoy the ride! Dedicated to my bestie, Cheyenne!


	2. Familiar FacesToo Familiar

"Ha! I've created the perfect invention!" Drakken exclaimed. With a sigh, Shego closed her magazine and looked at the device in his hand.

"So, what does it do?" she asked, not really eager to find out. They had decided to take a break from the villain business, though secretly, neither cared to go back to it.

"If I place it on this pickle jar," he demonstrated, "it will successfully unscrew it without fail." And surprisingly enough, the device worked.

"You sure showed that jar, Dr. D," Shego rolled her eyes. _Well, at least he's finally inventing his own stuff again._

* * *

Upon entering his dorm, Ron knew something was amiss. His roommate was finally moving in it seemed. He took in what he could see of their belongings to get some kind of feel for them. All forms of acceptance flew out the window when the mystery guy came through the door.

"Hey, Squeeb," Gil greeted him. Ron's eyes widened.

"Oh, hey, uh, Gil," he replied, slowly making his way toward the door. "I was just, uh, leaving!"

* * *

Kim was in the midst of reading when a knock sounded on the door.

"KIM!" her boyfriend's voice sounded outside. "KP, let me in!"

She rose up to open the door, book in hand, and asked, "So, what's the sitch?"

"KP, you gotta help me, my roommate—"

"Is not out to get you," she finished, cutting him off.

"Gil is my roommate, Kim," he told her. "He is most definitely out to get me."

"Wait, Camp Wannaweep Gil!?"

"Yes, the very same."

She sat beside him on her bed, an arm wrapped around his shoulders. "I'm not saying I agree with you, but you might wanna be wary of him only because the last time I thought he changed, he didn't. I had it wrong then and I may have it wrong now, but no matter what, you'll have me here with you, okay?"

"Freshman year already tanks." Ron's voice sounded devoid of any happiness.

"Hey, don't allow him to get you down," Kim encouraged. "He's not worth getting all worked up over. And if he does try anything, I've got your back. Nobody hurts my best friend."

In only a couple seconds, all of his worries disappeared when she pressed her lips to his gently. Every single time they kissed, neither could ever truly get enough. To Ron, she was his home, and though he may not know it yet, he's home for Kim too.

* * *

"Watch it loser," a snarky voice spoke.

"What my love means to say is, let her through," her boyfriend said.

Kim and Ron stepped into the hall to see what the commotion was. Bonnie and Junior were coming their way. He was obviously helping her move the rest of her stuff in.

"Kim Possible?" he questioned. "And the guy who always loses his trousers?"

"Junior," Ron acknowledged him. "Aw man, you going to school here too?"

"Please, I do not have time for school," he replied.

"Junior!" the shrill sound of Bonnie's voice shouted.

"Coming!"

"We probably shouldn't have stayed in Middleton for college," Ron pointed out.

"Yeah, I'm starting to agree with that," Kim replied. They grabbed their books and walked on toward their next class. "Well, hey, at least we won't have to deal with—"

"Barkin?" Ron finished with an exasperated sigh.

"Possible, Stoppable, so nice of you to join us," Mr. Barkin told them. They quickly took their seats, wondering why Steve Barkin was their teacher. "Some of you are familiar faces, obviously wondering why I'm here. I have transferred, thus making me your history teacher."

"I told you this year already tanks," Ron grumbled to Kim.

"No talking in class, Stoppable," Mr. Barkin scolded him. In response, Ron banged his head against his textbook.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** The school year is already off to a hectic beginning...did I make anyone laugh? If so, with what line?


	3. Questioning Everything

"Hey squeeb, looks like your girlfriend is chatting up the quarterback," Gil pointed out. Ron knew very well that Kim was not 'chatting up' anybody. In fact, it was nothing but an uncomfortable smile on her face while the quarterback continued to talk.

"Ooh, I think he's right," Bonnie added, joining in. Ron rolled his eyes and began to walk away from them, unable to keep from hearing her words as she shouted to him. "If she didn't trade you up as a senior, she'll definitely trade you up now that she's a college girl!"

He heard the laughter and the venom in her words, but he knew Kim. She wasn't shallow. They didn't know a damn thing about their relationship. He had once feared that she would trade him up, and thanks to misunderstanding, he thought she had considered it. Even knowing that Kim wouldn't do it, he still had fears in the back of his mind. If there was one thing that Bonnie was right about, it was that college was a whole new ball game.

* * *

Kim was getting a head start on her homework so she wouldn't have to spend the whole weekend on it. She and Ron were going to be spending some much needed quality time together tonight. Friday nights were what she had always deemed as her 'Ron night,' long before the two of them began dating.

They planned to also celebrate the fact that Ron became the running back for their university's football team and that she made it on the cheer squad. It was to be expected for both of them since they both received scholarships to Middleton University for their respective sports.

Though it wasn't the best situation to be residing in the dorm beside Bonnie's, Kim was secretly happy that her high school rival hadn't made the cut of the squad. The head cheerleader had told her that if she couldn't stop making everything about herself and work as part of a team, there wasn't room for her.

Looking at the time on her kimmunicator, she realized Ron's shift was nearly over. Closing her books, she gathered her bag and keys, heading out to meet up with him at Bueno Nacho.

* * *

Humming along to the music in the store, Ron stocked the shelves at Smarty Mart, thankful that it was Friday. He and Barkin did inventory earlier, all too happy it didn't go the way it did last time they were assigned to it. That had been a bit disconcerting. Speaking of Barkin, he was approaching fast.

"Stoppable, finished restocking?" he asked.

"All done, Mr. B," Ron replied. _This is my chance_. "Hey, uh, Mr. B?"

With a sigh, he responded, "Yes, Stoppable?" He awaited what was coming next.

"That whole 'center will not hold' thing…what exactly did you mean by that?" Ron inquired.

"I gave you that talk so that you wouldn't get your hopes up about everything staying the same as it was," Barkin explained. "People grow—they change. You have to keep an open mind."

"For your information, the center is holding quite well. Maybe I'm just lucky," Ron pointed out.

"That may very well be, Stoppable, but in most cases, it's not like that. Life isn't a fairytale." Barkin turned to walk away but stopped short, looking back at Ron. "In your case, I secretly hope it all works out in the end."

"Well, now it's not a secret!" Ron shouted after him as he walked away.

* * *

Ron arrived at Bueno Nacho to find Kim had already ordered for both of them.

"Hey. KP, sorry I'm late."

"No big! I hope you're hungry. I got you three nacos," she told him.

"I'll pay you back," he offered.

"Nah, you can just get the next one." Kim bit into her burrito, her brow furrowing. She noticed that Ron seemed a bit frazzled, but she figured it could wait until after they ate.

"What?" he asked.

"I didn't say anything."

"No, but you have that look on your face…I know that face, Kim."

"You just—I don't know—you seem a bit tightly wound," she told him. "Are you okay?" Ron thought a moment as to what to say, not quite knowing how to explain what his fears were. Kim spoke again before he could answer. "Are _we_ okay?"

"Wha—yeah, of course we are, KP," he assured her.

"Come on." Kim stood up, taking his hand in hers.

"Where are we going?" Ron asked.

"You'll see."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** If Barkin seems out of character to some of you, it's probably because I'm following my headcanon about him. I personally think he grew quite fond of Kim and Ron and that he does care for them, but doesn't really show it.


	4. Remember When?

They drove across town to Kim's destination, parallel parking beside a fenced playground. It took a moment after they exited for Ron to realize they were at the pre-school where they first met. Before any words came out, Kim was already climbing over the fence. She jumped down and faced him through the wiring.

"Well? Are you gonna climb over or not?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Are you sure this is okay to do?" Ron inquired as he pulled himself up and over.

"Totally!" Kim assured him. She took his hand and led him over to the exact spot where their history began. "Remember how we met?"

"One of the other kids was pulling on your pigtails," he recalled.

"And you stepped in, defending my honor," she laughed. "You were talking about the fact we had structure and rules to follow. It was all very cute."

"Cute, huh?" he smirked.

"You were my first crush, Ron Stoppable, though I never admitted that out loud before," Kim told him.

Ron furrowed his brows, not expecting this confession from her.

"I was?"

"Mhmm," she confirmed. "Remember what I said to you?"

"Something along the lines of, 'you're weird, but I like you.' That was a good day," Ron replied.

"I heard what Bonnie and Gil were saying to you today, though I didn't think you'd let it get to you," Kim confessed. "So, before you say anything, let me say this: Those two are stuck in high school. In the real world, there is no 'food chain,' and there's certainly no made up rules about who's out of whose league. But if you wanna look at it that way, then you and I are in our own league."

She wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace, smiling when he reciprocated immediately, like two magnets.

"How lucky am I that my best friend—my favorite person in the whole world—is also the love of my life?" she spoke softly. "You will never lose me. I wish you'd see that I'm the lucky one in this situation."

"Kim, I—"

The sound of the kimmunicator interrupted the moment. It was rare that it rang for a mission nowadays, but there were still some villains out and about.

"Go, Wade," she spoke in her serious tone.

"I've got a tip that Dementor is planning something huge. He's recently stolen dangerous military equipment," Wade informed them.

"How dangerous?" Ron asked.

"The explosive could wipe out an entire city," Wade replied. "He's planning on setting everything in motion Sunday night. You two already have tickets to Bavaria and a room booked for tomorrow."

"Thanks, Wade, we're on our way," Kim told him.

* * *

As they took their seats on the plane, Kim said, "Sorry our date night was interrupted."

"S'alright, KP, we gotta stop the bad guy," he replied. "Thanks for tonight."

"No big," she responded.

"Wrong. Very big," he told her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Kim immediately settled her head on his shoulder. Ron pressed a kiss into her hair, his free hand holding hers. His thumb lightly drew circles in the palm of her hand. It wasn't long before she fell soundly asleep.

At one point, midway through their flight, Kim woke up and found Ron fast asleep. She pulled out her book, intent on reading it until they land. Hours passed along slowly, but Kim smiled when she reached the point in the story where they two best friends realized they had fallen in love with one another. The book was an old favorite of hers, but despite having read it several times, she always found herself smiling like an idiot over the main characters finally opening their eyes to one another.

"KP?" Ron mumbled sleepily. "We there yet?"

"About a half hour left, sleepyhead," she laughed. "How do you always manage to get bedhead while sleeping on a plane?"

"It's a talent," he yawned.

When the plane landed, they took a taxi to the hotel. They collapsed on the bed, still exhausted from jet lag. It didn't take long for them to fall back asleep again. They had the coordinates on where Dementor was going to be tomorrow to set his plan in motion. If all went well, they'd stop him before he even started.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I would really love to know your favorite moment of this chapter! The feedback really helps me to figure out what works and what doesn't. Though I've known these characters for 16 years, it's still a bit challenging. Thank you!


	5. Mission Accomplished

"Look," Kim whispered, "in there!" Dementor was putting the final touches on his machine, the highly explosive military equipment wired into it.

"Break down the door? Drop in from the roof?" Ron asked. Kim's eyes surveyed the building quickly, spotting an entryway into the large ventilation system. With a nod of her head, she and Ron crawled their way in.

As they made it closer to their point of entry, they could hear Dementor's rant about it finally being the time he takes over the world; the usual villain cliché.

"Hand me the laser lipstick," she instructed Ron, who dug into her bag, quickly retrieving the item. The metal fell to the ground, alerting Dementor and his henchmen.

"Vut is zis!?" he shouted.

"The inevitable end to your plan," Kim retorted, dropping down from the ventilation system.

"You von't stop me zis time, Fräulein Possible," he challenged her, motioning to his henchmen to attack her.

She blocked two of them while kicking another out of the way. Dementor was fruitlessly guarding his doomsday machine, unaware that in a matter of minutes, it would be broken.

Ron unwired the stolen device from the machine, keeping an eye on Rufus who was getting into the gears, breaking it apart from the inside.

"Vere's your so-called boyfriend then?" Dementor asked just as Kim was backed up against a wall. Ignoring him, Kim ducked and dived between the henchmen. Dementor began preparing the doomsday machine.

"Ron, hurry!" Kim shouted.

"Got it, KP!" he exclaimed.

"Vut is happening? Vere did he come from? Henchmen!" Dementor was furious. Ron tossed the device to Kim who pocketed it in her bag quickly. The machine began to break down, signaling the self-destruct sequence.

Ron joined Kim on the floor, Rufus in his pocket, everyone running wildly to evacuate. Dementor and his henchmen left, using the escape pods.

"This way!" Kim led Ron to an escape hatch. They slid down together, landing in the pond at the bottom of the hill. They heard the explosion, but it didn't blow up the entire lair like they expected. It only took out the wall it was near.

"Well, that's the smallest explosion I've ever seen," Ron remarked. "At least I wasn't the distraction this time, cause I'm—"

"Always the distraction, I know," she laughed, finishing his sentence, as they climbed out of the pond. "Too bad you don't like being a distraction…"

Ron furrowed his brows, not quite understanding.

"Why?" he asked.

"Cause I could definitely use a distraction right now," Kim replied. "Of the romantic kind."

"Oh," he realized, "booyah."

* * *

"History," Mr. Barkin began, "why do we need to remember it?" He looked around the room. "Possible."

"We need to learn and remember history so we aren't doomed to repeat it," Kim answered.

"Very good, Possible. Stoppable," Barkin continued, "enlighten us."

"To preserve the memory of those who have gone before us," he replied.

"I've been teaching history for fifteen years and I have never heard that answer. Well done, Stoppable," Barkin told him.

"History is there as a cautionary tale," Bonnie spoke out of turn. "Like, everyone knows what happened at Junior Prom." She said this while nodding towards Kim and Ron. "History will teach others not to go down the path to Loserville like Kim did by dating naco boy."

"I don't see how your unwanted commentary is relevant, Miss Rockwaller." He was going full Barkin now. "You are dismissed."

"But—"

"Dismissed!" he shouted. "I don't tolerate bullying in this class, does everybody understand?"

"Did Barkin just defend us?" Ron whispered to Kim.

"Weirdly enough, I think he did," she responded.

* * *

Not unlike senior year, Ron was at football practice while Kim was at cheer practice. He was officially the running back for the Middleton Tigers. The university's colors were the same as their high school's colors, luckily enough. The team took a water break, watching the cheerleaders do their thing.

 _Middleton has got the fire!_

 _We're the ones that you admire!_

 _We got that what? (Growl power!)_

 _We're Tigers, we never cower!_

 _You won't see us coming,_

 _When our man is running._

 _Your team is a disaster,_

 _We're the mighty Tigers!_

 _Grrr!_

"Yeah, KP!" Ron shouted across the field. He smiled when he saw her roll her eyes playfully as she laughed.

* * *

"Shego, I was wondering—"

"Nope."

"But—"

"No!" her hands were glowing green. "Look, Dr. D, I don't do domesticity."

"You're not tired of being in this lair?" he asked. "It's not even a lair anymore."

"No house," she remarked.

"Apartment, then?" Drakken asked.

"Fine," Shego sighed.

"Things were easier when we were villains weren't they?"

"Little bit," she spoke curtly, flipping through her magazine. "Think I might go to The Rabbit Hole later."

"The Rabbit Hole? That popular collegiate nightclub?" Drakken questioned.

"Uh, yeah," she replied. "And it's not just for college kids. I'm only in my late twenties, Dr. D." She took a sip of her smoothie.

"Twenty-eight," he grumbled.

"Thirty-five" Shego coughed. This shut him up.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I really struggled with this chapter. It went through a couple of re-writes. I'm sorry it took so long. Favorite scene?


	6. Down the Rabbit Hole

Hands folded, foot tapping with impatience, the man waited to hear anything of use for his plan.

"There's not really anything to report, sir," the young man said. "Kim and Ron are still friends; quite the team as always."

Gemini snarled with vehemence.

"There's got to be something different with them since the last time I had the displeasure of meeting them." He huffed in annoyance.

"Well, there is one thing…" the younger man remarked.

"I'm listening," Gemini told him.

"They have most definitely crossed over the line between friendship and romance," he informed him.

"I'm not here to gossip, Moss."

"No, don't you see the big picture?" he asked. "They'd die for each other. Take one away and the other would do everything to save them. Neither are a threat if you separate them."

"You know, I was beginning to think you would waste my time, but I think you're on to something," Gemini smirked. "Thank you, Gill, that'll be all."

* * *

"Don't tell me that's what you're wearing," Monique remarked upon exiting the bathroom. She had just finished getting ready to go out dancing.

"I'm not going," Kim sighed, continuing to type on her laptop. "I've got a million things to do, and I can barely even think."

"But that's exactly why you should go!" Monique argued.

"I'm a bon diggity dance, and I'm ready to go," Ron announced, entering Kim and Monique's dorm.

"She's not going," Monique outed Kim.

"No, cause I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown," Kim argued back.

"Hey," Ron spoke up, sitting on the bed beside her, "KP, you need to take a breather." When she didn't comply, he took her hand in his. "Look at me."

She did as he said and took a deep breath.

"Just come out for an hour, and we'll come back so you still have time to finish all of this," Ron suggested. "Sometimes you just need to give yourself a break in order to focus."

"Okay," she smiled. "I would've hated missing out on dancing with you again."

"That's the spirit!" Monique cheered.

* * *

"I'm bored," Drakken groaned.

"Well, I invited you to come out with me," Shego pointed out. "You said 'no,' so I'm going alone."

"Please, I can deal with some alone time," he remarked.

"Suit yourself," she spoke as she walked out the door.

Mumbling to himself in frustration, Drakken threw on a pair of shoes, and followed Shego outside.

"I knew you'd end up going," she laughed. "Typical."

* * *

The beat of the music was pulsing through the room. Lights of all different colors shone upon the dancefloor, made to look like a giant rabbit hole. The walls were painted murals of a gothic Wonderland. The stage was underneath a blacklight, the DJ wearing neon colors on his clothes and in his hair. He also wore LED light up white rabbit ears to go along with the Wonderland theme. The music was felt in their feet, from the pounding of the bass, straight to their heads. The atmosphere made you want to move.

Ron pulled her in close and spun her around. His dancing had definitely improved over the last year, as Kim had given him some pointers over the summer before starting college. Monique had found someone to dance with—a complete stranger—but she looked to be having fun.

An old favorite EDM song of theirs began playing, and Monique had rejoined the couple for a while. They jumped up and down with the crowd, enjoying the rush of dancing freely.

"This hurricane rocks!" Ron shouted over the music. He stumbled back and straight into—

"The buffoon!?" Drakken exclaimed.

"Doctor..Drakken?" Ron's voice was questioning.

"See? Didn't I tell you this was fun?" Shego asked, approaching.

"I need agua," Kim told Monique and Ron, turning to see their former foes. "Well, this is awkweird."

"Well, look who it is," Shego said with amusement. "The Princess and the Pauper."

"Told you, Shego," Drakken grumbled. "Collegiate nightclub." She wasn't listening, though. Shego shrugged her shoulders and continued to dance.

"So, you two have, like, quit villainy for good, then?" Ron asked.

With a sigh, Shego replied, "If you must know, yeah, we have. It got too tedious. We're not getting any younger, you know. Until next time, Princess."

The last thing they heard before leaving the two former villains was Drakken excitedly saying, "Ooh, the OhBoyz," when the music shifted.

The three friends went to get bottles of ice cold water, sitting at a booth to talk.

"You don't think—" Monique began.

"That they're trying to get us to put our guard down about them?" Kim finished. "I don't know, but they seem to just wanna get on with their lives."

"Graduation day really turned things around for them," Ron pointed out. "It turned things around for all of us."

"But do we give them the benefit of the doubt?" Kim wondered.

"Why not?" Monique asked. "They don't seem all too threatening anymore." Just then, the kimmunicator went off.

"What's the sitch, Wade?" Kim asked.

"Guys, did you hear the news? Team Go is complete for the first time in years," Wade informed them.

"Team Go?" Monique questioned.

"Oh! Hey, Monique," Wade greeted her nervously, still harboring a crush on her. "Um, anyways, it's confirmed that Shego has rejoined her brothers in doing the superhero gig again."

"Really? Booyah!" Ron cheered. "We have her as an ally now."

"I wonder why she didn't tell us. We just saw her and Drakken here," Kim told Wade.

"It's not exactly breaking news, so she probably wants to keep it on the DL," Wade explained.

"Makes sense," Kim replied. "Thanks, Wade."

The sound of shattered glass was heard right before the panicking began. A small group of henchmen began storming through the club, heading straight for them.

"Monique, take cover," Kim advised her.

"Rufus, we're on," Ron added. He and Kim began fighting off the henchmen one by one. They were caught off guard, not having had to bother with fighting Ron before. He had improved greatly over the years. A couple roundhouse kicks later, and Kim had the last henchman in her grip.

"What do you want? Who do you work for?" she interrogated him. The man refused to speak, instead pushing her with all the force he had, running after the rest of the group. Kim landed on the ground, hitting her shoulder hard. That was all it took for Ron to snap, wanting to go after the man that hurt her, but Kim held him back once she was up again.

"It's alright, Ron, I'm okay," she assured him. "Those henchmen—I think I know who they work for."

"Who?" Ron and Monique asked simultaneously.

"Gemini."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I'm not entirely sure if I liked this chapter lol but I hope everyone else does. You can be honest, it sucks lol.


	7. The Plot Thickens

"Sis, you're back!" Hego smiled.

"Yeah, don't get too excited," Shego replied. "Ever hear of this Gemini freak?"

"As in, astrology?" he asked, watching as his sister shook her head with annoyance. Shego searched the database for the villain in question.

"What's she doing here?" Mego asked, entering the room.

"Where the hell have you been the past couple of weeks?" Shego asked.

"On vacation," Mego replied as if it were obvious. "Interrupted by Hego's big news. Guess the news is you're back."

"No talking," she told him.

"But—"

"I need to concentrate!" she shouted, blasting him with her plasma.

They kept their mouths shut, silently observing whatever motivation had caused Shego to search for this Gemini fellow. A photo of a man with an eyepatch displayed on the screen. From what they read, he had an association with Global Justice. He was their enemy, and head of WWEE headquarters; The World Wide Evil Empire. A phone began to ring, revealing it was Shego's when she answered it.

"Hey, Dr. D, is this urgent, cause I'm a teensy bit busy at the moment," she told him. Whatever he had asked caused a bit of panic to show in her eyes. "I'm, uh, out of town for a bit. Massage appointment. Uh huh. Okay. Yeah, see you later."

"He doesn't know, does he?" Hego asked.

"What are you talking about?" she laughed it off.

"You never told him you were back on the team," Hego stated.

"Only because I'm not entirely sure I want to be back permanently," Shego replied. "I don't know what his mindset has been ever since his plan actually worked, and helped save the world, rather than conquer it. It's been a confusing few months. I gotta go. Keep me posted if anything else about this Gemini guy comes up."

And, with that, she took her leave.

* * *

It was a cool day in early October—pretty enough for a nice walk—and Ron had just sat down beside Kim for history.

"Did you use my shampoo?" she whispered to him.

"I can't help it; it smells like strawberries," Ron told her. Kim rolled her eyes in that playful way that he knew well. It basically meant _typical Ron_.

"Alright people, listen up," Barkin began. "We've been reading some personal accounts during historical events, which lead me to your project assignment."

The class groaned, though Kim was thrilled.

"Each of you will write an account of a personal history you have with a friend or family member. Make sure to mention any historical events that may have happened during the duration of the focus on this personal history," Barkin informed them.

"Booyah!" Ron exclaimed. "I've got this in the bag."

"Speaking out of turn, Stoppable?" Barkin asked with an exasperated sigh.

"N-no, Mr. B." Ron looked away sheepishly.

"Smooth," Kim teased him.

After class, the two of them ordered lunch at Bueno Nacho, already coordinating their history projects.

"So we're doing our papers on the same thing," Kim stated. "Hopefully Barkin won't disapprove of it."

"He didn't say we couldn't have the same topic," Ron replied. "Besides, our friendship is completely topic-worthy."

"I guess it's a spankin' way to see each other's point of view," she pointed out.

"Exactly!" he exclaimed. "It'll be fun."

* * *

"Agent Theta, status report," Gemini demanded.

"Well, sir, from the looks of Miss Possible's routine schedule, she has classes in the morning, goes to lunch with Stoppable—"

"Let me stop you right there," Gemini interrupted. "Is she alone at any point of her usual day?"

"After her two afternoon classes, yes," Agent Theta replied. "She takes a walk from campus, down to the pre-school every day."

"Excellent, fetch me Agent Zeta," Gemini waved him off.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Agent Zeta asked as he approached.

"Did you get the intel that I wanted?" Gemini asked.

"Well, not exactly."

"Agent Zeta," he sighed. "Have a seat."

"I'd, uh, rather not."

"Oh, fine. Still fun, either way." Gemini pressed a button and the floor dropped out from under Agent Zeta, sending him away for a long time.

* * *

 _Pre-school was terrifying to me, I'll admit, but the moment this blonde-haired, brown eyed boy defended my honor on the playground, it didn't seem so scary anymore. It's funny how much of your life one person has the power to change, whether it's good or bad. In my case, it was the best thing to happen to me._

 _Ron Stoppable was his name. If you know Ron—and I mean really know him—you know he's fiercely loyal. He panics in the face of danger, but it doesn't stop him from protecting those he loves. That's the man I know now; the man I watched him grow into. So, let me tell you about our history and the events that led to the way we are today. This is the story of me and my best friend, and the inevitable path to falling in love._

Kim ran her fingers through her hair, biting on her lip in concentration. She re-read her writing over and over, wondering if it was a good beginning. Her topic sentence was stated plainly. She had an attention-grabbing first paragraph. Overall, she was satisfied.

It was going to be an emotional trip down memory lane, she knew. Especially since she hadn't even reached the heavy stuff yet, and she was already tearing up over it. She briefly wondered if he'd started on his paper. Knowing Ron, probably not.

* * *

"Hey roomie," Gil greeted Ron. "What cha working on?"

"Paper," was all he replied with, not feeling up to conversation with a former foe.

"Ah, that personal history thing," Gil realized. "You're doing yours on you and Possible?"

"Uh huh." Ron sounded slightly annoyed. He really wanted this paper to be perfect, which was unusual for him, but Kim would be reading it. In a way, it was like they were writing love letters; documenting their entire history together. They had the same story, but it would be the first time seeing it through each other's eyes.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay, y'all. I've been working more hours than usual. Shego's keeping things from Drakken. Gemini has a serious agenda. This paper sounds like a cool idea, no? And please, if anyone actually reads this, let me know if I made you feel any kind of emotion. Thanks!


	8. In Progress

**Author's Note: Hello lovely readers! This chapter is probably a bit boring, but it's setting things up for some shit hitting the fan next chapter lol! p.s. I gave Kim my bday lol**

* * *

"Happy Birthday, KP!" Ron greeted her the morning of October sixteenth.

"Hey, Ron," she smiled. "Is that cupcake for me?"

"Mm, yeah, I kinda forgot yours," he teased, handing it over to her.

"You ate yours already didn't you?" she asked.

"Guilty," he replied.

They walked in silence towards the building their classes were held, fingers laced together.

"So, uh, KP, you busy Friday night?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I have plans with my boyfriend," Kim told him. "What'd you have in mind?"

"You're looking at a guy who just so happened to score concert tickets for that night," he said proudly.

"Who are we seeing?" she questioned.

"Blink-182," he answered.

"No way! Those tickets sell out so quick! How did you even do it?" She was noticeably excited.

"Wade is good at what he does," was all he said. "But, tonight, how's pizza and a movie sound?"

"That sounds perfect," she smiled. "I'll see you after class." After giving him a quick kiss, she headed off to English class.

* * *

Kim sat at the student café with her laptop, working on her paper. She had covered the important aspects of their friendship's growth all the way through freshman year. Of course, every moment was important to her, but for the sake of brevity, she had to narrow it down.

Currently, she was working on a particular mission that triggered the first real thoughts she had of becoming more than friends. It had been their sophomore year when they helped Vivian Porter reclaim her rightful career position. The project required using at least one physical resource of their personal history with whomever they picked. Kim went to her journal for that.

 _Ron was always so convinced that there were unspoken 'rules' about dating. In the end, he kept thinking that every girl was out of his league. I talked about this in one of the many journal entries I made that year. It read, 'I had a chance outside of the movie theater to tell him how I felt, but I was too much in denial. I wasn't ready yet. I will say this, though: if I ever get lucky enough to have my best friend as a boyfriend, I know I'd never want him to feel like he's not good enough.'_

Across campus, Ron was working on writing about the same mission, focusing on a different moment.

 _I remember explaining to her why I couldn't risk having Zita see us come out of a date movie together. Kim had questioned the possibility of her and I being on a date, to which I had told her it could happen. There was a moment after that where she had said she was going to tell me something she never told me before. Naturally, I thought this was it; the moment everything changes between us. For a second, I thought she was gonna tell me she wanted to be more than friends. And she might have been considering saying that, but all she said was that I was thinking too much._

 _It's funny how looking back on your memories makes you realize the point where everything changed isn't the result of one single moment. Instead, it's truly a built-up collection of many. At the time one of these moments happen, you don't notice it until further along in the future when you look back on your life thus far. It's no wonder that our friends and family knew how we'd end up._

He re-read his newest addition to his paper, satisfied with the wording. Ron prided himself on having actually worked hard on this project so far. Kim had always called him 'potential boy,' so maybe this was the moment things changed for him in school. Either way, Ron found himself wanting to try harder. The amount of effort he had been putting into this project made him realize how good it felt to be productive.

* * *

"Stop ringing," Shego groaned, before picking up the phone. "What!? No, not now!"

Drakken's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"It's not really a good time," she continued. In a hushed tone, she added, "I can't talk right now, Hego." Hanging up the phone, Shego sighed.

"What exactly is it that you're not telling me?" Drakken asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked in return.

"You know what I mean, Shego," he replied. "The secret phone calls, the sudden jumpiness…that's not you. Since when are you jumpy?"

"Look, I'm kinda sorta back with the team," Shego explained.

"With your brothers?" he questioned, curiously.

"Yes, with my brothers. Look, the only reason I wasn't 'officially' back is because I thought you still wanted to be evil," she confessed. "Granted, every now and then, I still wanna blast idiots, but being evil is just exhausting…especially when all we ever did was fail."

"Are you kidding me? You thought I wanted to still be evil? They used to tell me I'd never amount to anything, and for a long time, I failed continuously," Drakken rambled on. "The only time I succeeded was when I chose to help _save_ the world, ironically. I don't want to be evil; not anymore. I thought you still wanted that."

"Then maybe you can help," she told him. "Know anything about Gemini?"


	9. Taken

_Dr. Cyrus Bortel had explained how the moodulators worked; rather than create emotions, it only enhanced—or supercharged—the ones within me that already existed. As I write this, I am not entirely sure that Ron realized what that meant—that my feelings were true—but at the time, I thought he did know of them. When it was all over, I couldn't tell him; I was scared to do so. Some may think it was wrong of me to not tell him the truth. It probably was wrong to lie to him for so long._

"You kept this from me?" Ron asked.

"Well…yeah, I did," Kim replied, hoping he'd understand.

"Why? Don't you think I deserved the truth that night!?" This was turning into an unexpected argument.

"How could I!?" she shouted. "You wanted to break up with me, Ron! I couldn't allow myself to get my heart broken again. I thought you didn't feel the same!"

"Of course I wanted you, but I was scared too! And then the getting all jealous over Yori? Giving her an unnecessary cold shoulder?" Ron argued back.

"Look, if I thought this paper was gonna cause this, I wouldn't have even chosen this topic," Kim said, walking past him. She grabbed her black knit cardigan, buttoning it up.

"Where are you going?" he questioned.

"On a walk," she replied. Just as he got up to follow her, briskly she added, "alone."

* * *

Kim cooled down a bit during her walk, the crisp autumn air blowing through her hair. Without even meaning to, her feet led her to the pre-school. A sad sigh escaped her lips as she thought back on the stupid argument. She leaned against the gate, visualizing her first meeting with Ron in that very schoolyard.

 _You're weird, but I like you._

The rustling in the bushes didn't alarm her, as the wind was blowing. A gasp escaped her when a cloth was pressed to her mouth, knocking her out in seconds, her vision going black.

* * *

"Monique!" Ron shouted. "Have you seen Kim!?" He was drenched from head to toe, worry etched on his face.

"No, I thought she was with you," she replied. "Why are you all wet?"

"Hey, you're soaked," Zita laughed as she and Felix came down the hall.

"Kim's missing! I haven't seen her since she left after this fight we had hours ago," Ron explained. "I'm going back out to look for her."

"Do you need backup?" Felix asked.

"I'll be fine. Gotta do this alone," he replied, calling Wade.

"Hey Ron," Wade answered. "What's up?"

"Kim's missing, can you track her?" Ron inquired.

"Let's see…" Kim's ringtone went off, coming from the dorm she and Monique shared.

"Her phone is ringing in her dorm and she's not here," Ron's voice quivered.

"I'm sorry, Ron, I can't find her," Wade apologized.

"I think I have an idea on who might know," Ron realized. "Let's hope they're up to being good again."

* * *

Drakken put the final touches on his newest invention when the sound of metal clanking against the floor sounded, followed by a scream.

"Did you hear that scream?" he asked.

"Yes, that would be me," Ron answered, only his index finger visible to them.

"The buffoon!? What is he doing here?" Drakken turned to Shego.

"Why do you never remember my name!?" Ron shouted.

"Let me guess," she began, "Possible's missing."

"Yeah…" Ron replied, sitting up out of the rubble. "But how'd you know?"

"Just a hunch," was all she said. "That Gemini freak has her, I guarantee it."

"How'd you know about Gemini?" Ron was lost in confusion.

"Remember at the nightclub? Gemini's henchmen attacked you and Kimmy," Shego explained with an eyeroll.

"Right, anyways, can you…help me?" he asked with uncertainty.

"Hold on right there," Drakken spoke with irritation. "Why doesn't anyone ever want my help? I'm the genius here!"

Shego and Ron's eyebrows both went up in unison.

"Just look at my newest invention," he continued.

"Duck," Shego whispered to Ron.

The beam from the laser gun shot out quick, so powerful it flew out of Drakken's hand and hit him in the face.

"Ugh, stupid laser beam," he complained.

"You were saying?" Shego teased.

"He can be the distraction!" Ron suggested, excited he wasn't the distraction for once.

"Fine," he grumbled. "What if we invited Gemini out to a villain reunion dinner? And then the buffoon can grab my former teenaged foe."

"One, that is the dumbest plan I've ever heard. Two, she's still a teenager for another year," Shego told him. "Now, we need a ride to Gemini's lair. Can nerdlinger give us the coordinates?"

"He sure can," Ron answered, calling Wade. "Hey, buddy, we need the location of Gemini's hideout."

"This guy's headquarters is super-secret, but…you know me," Wade spoke with confidence. "Got it!"

"Drakken, is this ready for travel?" Shego asked him, referring to the hover car.

"Erm, yeah, it should be," he replied.

"Good enough for me," she said. "C'mon, Stoppable."

"She remembers my name," he mumbled to himself.

* * *

Throat dry as cotton, Kim Possible opened her eyes. Taking in her surroundings, she realized she was in dungeon of sorts; definitely behind bars and chained to the wall. It was damp and cold where she had been lying on the ground.

"Good, you're awake," a familiar voice spoke.

"What do you want, Gemini?" Kim groaned, pulling against the shackles.

"I already have what I wanted—you and Ron Stoppable separated," he chuckled.

"What is it to you if we're separated?" she asked.

"As a team, you're unstoppable, but with you chained up, there's no chance he can stop me on his own," he ranted.

"You'd be surprised," Kim remarked.

"Right," he laughed, not taking her seriously. The little bit of light in the room disappeared when he exited through the door, locking it for good measure.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** What do you think of Drakken and Shego teaming up with Ron? Will they be able to stay good? What was your favorite line?


	10. Rescue Mission

After having been on several missions over the years, Ron was quite proficient at the protocol by now, but he still had his moments. A ninja, he was not.

"Ron Stoppable, how nice of you to _drop_ by," Gemini quipped.

"Ow!" Ron shouted when Drakken landed on his back.

"Oh, this should be good," Gemini laughed mockingly. "The 'reformed' villain, Drew Lipsky; what a disappointment you are. Not once did you ever convince me you were a true professional criminal. Though the Diablo plan was…sinister."

"Do not remind me," Ron spoke up.

"That's what made me so good at it. Besides, I don't recall asking for your opinion," Drakken snidely remarked. Shego's attitude seemed to have rubbed off on him.

"Where's Kim?" Ron asked once he and Drakken stood up, getting down to business.

"Like I'm going to tell you," Gemini replied. "It's not as if you can get past my henchmen."

"Maybe not…" Ron began.

"…but she can," Drakken finished.

The green glow was what tipped Gemini off. The henchmen began circling around Ron and Drakken.

"Okay, there are five scary men about to kill us, how many can either of you take?" Ron asked.

"It's more like seven," Drakken remarked.

"Sorry I wasn't specific!" Ron shouted.

"Put me down for…none," Drakken added.

"Oh good," Ron groaned. "Shego, are you helping or what?"

"Oh, please, like I'd help you save Kimmy," she sneered.

"You two really don't have a clue, do you?" Gemini smirked. "Shego recently jumped on board with my plans. Did you really think she turned good?"

"Well, uh, yeah," Ron admitted.

Drakken kept his mouth shut. Though he was surprised at this turn of events, he knew for a fact that Shego was on their side. Her plan was to apparently play the double agent. Spotting the doomsday machine Gemini had running, Drakken slipped past the scuffle between Ron and the henchmen to try and shut it down.

"Oh, I do not have time for this!" Ron shouted.

Drakken watched in confusion as Ron became enveloped in a blue glow. The hurricane-like wind had him holding onto the machine, breaking off the lever. That alone had broken it. Drakken shielded his eyes from the debris, only opening them again when all the henchmen were down for the count.

Afterwards, Ron noticed his own kimmunicator—or ron-unicator as Kim had once dubbed it—was missing, a familiar laugh sounded.

"Looking for zis!?" Dementor laughed maniacally, his own henchmen approaching.

"Aw, man," Ron complained.

"What's the plan?" Drakken asked.

"Run!" he shouted.

The two took off down the corridor, making a right turn. They found a flight of stairs heading downward.

"Why down?" Drakken asked in a panic.

"Do we have a choice?" Ron asked rhetorically.

"Erg, suppose not," Drakken replied.

* * *

"We can't let them find Miss Possible!" Gemini shouted. "After them!"

A loud crash sounded as a portion of the ceiling caved in.

"Not so fast, astrology boy," Hego announced his presence.

"About time," Shego told her brothers.

"Chillax, sis, we made it, didn't we?" Mego replied with a hint of snark.

"What is going on here!?" Gemini demanded.

"I thought she was part of ze plan!" Dementor shouted at Gemini.

"Ya thought wrong," she smirked, blasting him with her powers.

As Shego and her brothers fought off the henchmen, as well as the masterminds themselves, Rufus had successfully taken back the kimmunicator, running in the same direction that his owner went.

* * *

Head pounding, throat dry as cotton, Kim was quickly losing hope. She had tried a number of times to slip her hands out of the shackles, but it left her with nothing but chafe marks. The sound of footsteps alerted her, causing her to at least stand up and get herself in the mindset to fight.

"KP!" Ron shouted, relieved that he found her.

"Oh thank God," she sighed with relief.

"What did he do to you?" Ron asked when he noticed how red her wrists were from the shackles.

"Enough, that he's going to pay for what he did," Kim muttered. "You should call GJ. Let Dr. Director know what's happened."

"Uh, here, you call," Ron handed the kimmunicator over to…

"Drakken!?" Kim's jaw dropped.

"Long story," he assured her before doing as Ron told him.

"Where's the key?" Ron asked. She pointed towards the wall behind him. The keys were hanging on a hook. Ron found the one that fit the lock, assuming the other was to unlock the shackles on her wrists.

Suddenly, the building shook as if something had put it off kilter.

"The doomsday machine!" Drakken and Ron realized in unison.

"Are you okay to run?" he asked Kim.

"Should be fine," she assured him. "Let's get out of here."

When they met back up with Shego, they noticed the newcomers who hadn't been there before.

"Since when were they involved?" Ron asked.

"I planned for them to come all along. Thought if I made Gemini believe I was in on his plan, I could use the element of surprise," Shego explained. "He's dumber than a bag of rocks."

"Oh, and I disassembled the doomsday machine," Hego announced proudly. "Which is why—"

"This place is gonna blow!" Kim told them.

Shego looked to Drakken, and asked, "What's our exit strategy?"

"Our what?" he asked in return, having not planned that far ahead.

"Oh my God, we're all going to die," Shego pinched the bridge of her nose.

"We came here in the jet, no worries, sis!" the Go twins spoke simultaneously.

"Alright, let's go!" Kim shouted.

They all made it onto the jet and got up in the air just before the lair exploded.

"Where did Gemini and Dementor go anyways?" Ron asked.

"Oh, you're computer dweeb told me they were walking right into Global Justice's trap," Drakken informed them.

"Spankin'!" Kim exclaimed. Then quietly to Ron, "I'm sorry about yesterday. I never meant for us to argue."

"We can talk about this later, okay? We obviously have some communication issues we can work out down the road," he told her. "Right now, I'm just happy you're safe."

They were taken to Go Tower, in which from there, they took a cab back to the university. Both being extremely exhausted, it wasn't long before they conked out on the small sofa in her dorm.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** ughhhh I've spent foreverrrrr on this chapter...so, yeah, I hope it was worth it lol! P.S. I suck at action scenes.


	11. Center WILL Hold

"Don't take my nacos," Ron muttered in his sleep, waking Kim up.

"Ron," she whispered.

"Don't hurt Kim!"

"Ron! Wake up!" she urged him, lifting her head off of his chest.

He woke up suddenly, having forgotten for a moment that they were both safe in the dorm.

"I'm sorry." Those were the first words he spoke.

"For what? Ron, we were both to blame. It was a stupid argument," Kim told him. "Forgiven?"

"Always," he replied. "Forgive me too?"

"Of course!" she answered. "Maybe you'd like to read a special part of my paper? It's a direct journal entry from prom night."

"Really?" he asked in surprise.

With an answering smile, she turned on the table lamp, and handed him the paper.

 _They're right, you know. Good things usually happen when you least expect it. For so long, I've known how I felt about him, but never said a word because I was so sure he didn't feel the same. The moment those four words were said—words that I'll never forget—while we were tied up and feeling defeated, everything changed. My entire life was turned upside down because of those words; out there, in here._

 _Prom was something else; truly a night to remember. It was nerve-wracking at first, even though I was so cool and confident beforehand. It's like entering the gymnasium hand-in-hand made it even more official, more real. Dancing with him—my best friend—gosh, it was like floating on air. Something electric, dare I say magical, happened. One look into those brown eyes I love so much was all it took for me to know that this was it—I knew right then and there that Ron Stoppable is most definitely my soulmate, the only guy for me._

 _And that first real kiss sealed our fate. Our entire lives were changed. It sounds cliché or something like that, I know, but it's true. You always hear our elders talk about how young love never lasts, blah blah blah. Here's a secret…sometimes our elders are wrong. Anyone who thinks Ron and I won't last are wrong. How lucky am I to have my best friend and the love of my life be the same person? The truth? Very lucky. Very blessed._

"Ron?" Kim called to him softly. "Was it okay?"

"It's—it's badical, KP," he replied, his voice thick with emotion. "Really. I had no idea."

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him while she hugged him back.

"I really need to work on communicating my feelings more often," she half laughed.

"That'd be a good start," he told her. "Seriously, KP, I'm in this for the rest of our lives."

"Me too," she smiled as he kissed her cheek. "What time is it?"

"Midnight," he replied after looking at his phone.

"Bueno nacho is open until two in the morning," she suggested. "And I'm really hungry."

"Let's go!" he exclaimed.

* * *

"Possible, Stoppable," Barkin called to them after class ended. The two made their way over to him while the rest of the class departed.

"You wanted to see us Mr. Barkin?" Kim asked.

"Did you two work on these papers together?" he inquired.

"No, sir, we didn't," Ron replied. "Why would you think that?"

"You both express similar thoughts and feelings into your papers," Barkin answered.

"That, Mr. B, is because the center is holding up just fine," Ron told him confidently. "Looks like you were wrong, after all."

As he watched his two favorite students walk out the door, he said quietly, "Glad to be wrong."

* * *

 **Four nights later…**

"It still bugs me that Simon and Clary aren't endgame," Kim told Ron as they watched their Tuesday night show.

"You just want them together 'cause they remind you of us," Ron teased.

"Okay, maybe I'm biased, but they have way better chemistry," Kim pointed out, spoon in hand.

"Can't argue with that," he agreed.

"Want some chunky monkey?" she asked, holding out her pint of ice cream.

"Monkeys!?" he shouted, running out into the hall, much to Kim's amusement.

He looked around the hallway in a panicked state, hearing footsteps behind him.

"Hey man, what's up?"

Ron's eyes widened. Sandy blonde hair, blue eyes. Josh.

"Ahhh Mankey!" he screamed, running back into Kim's dorm.

"Always nice to see you too, dude."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thank y'all so much for reading! I hope to do more stories in this universe I created, but that won't be for a while. I hope y'all enjoyed it!


End file.
